Again! Tragically, Notre Dame’s doing it again… but so many others are not!
Does your stomach turn every time commencement season rolls around? Mine does. The annual showcase of dissent and scandal at several Catholic colleges isn’t even shocking anymore—but it’s still destructive.The big picture, however, is bright and getting brighter!
For every poor choice of commencement speaker that disregards Catholic values in the quest for secular prestige, there are many well-deserved honors to Catholic religious and lay leaders. Often the best are, of course, at the faithful Newman Guide colleges. Good for them!
We’ll bring you the good and bad news as it rolls in. Matt Archbold’s Report Card column this week has something of both.
First, the good news:
Saint Mary’s College, which is just across Indiana Route 933 from Notre Dame, provided a powerful witness to students when it rescinded its commencement speaker invitation to feminist author Jean Kilbourne.
After inviting her, the leaders of Saint Mary’s learned that Kilbourne had been honored by Planned Parenthood with a “leadership award.” So they quickly and courageously did the right thing.
On behalf of Catholic families, thank you Saint Mary’s College!
Meanwhile, the University of Notre Dame has made the opposite choice. After awarding its Laetare Medal for exemplary Catholics to pro-abortion Joe Biden last year, Notre Dame this year will be honoring a publicly dissident priest.
Father Gregory Boyle’s good work with Los Angeles gangs is admirable. But how can a Catholic university ignore his public advocacy for same-sex marriage? Even Father Boyle has acknowledged that he doesn’t toe “the party line” when he suggests that God disagrees with the Catholic Church.
Father Boyle has also publicly dissented on priestly ordination and withholding the Eucharist from Catholics who are married outside the Church.
What is the motivation behind Notre Dame’s honor to an unfaithful priest who has reportedly alleged that his “own sad, tragic church” is “just about power and privilege and secrecy and sometimes even a willful wandering away from Jesus and the living of the Gospel”?
There’s a lot more reported in Matt Archbold’s Report Card column this week, both good and bad. I strongly recommend a quick read.
Clearly the work of The Cardinal Newman Society is very much needed. This Lent, we could really use your prayers and donation.
May God have mercy on you, me, and the whole Church as we prepare for Holy Week! And may Easter remind us of our hope in the Resurrection that restored all things to Him.
 |  Patrick Reilly President The Cardinal Newman Society |
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